About midway on the National Highway is Annex Bar.
Yesterday was my first visit to this iteration of Annex. It was previously known as Sit-n-Bull Annex prior to being sold last year. I was a very infrequent visitor before the sale as well.
One of the attractions for me previously was an outdoor table. I had planned to review Annex on Thursday but there was construction taking place at the entrance. They installed these nice new doors, but alas, the outside seating has been eliminated.I did arrive during the afternoon Happy Hour and a 55 peso beer is quite the bargain these days.
So, I stepped inside to see what there was to see. Not a lot as it turns out. The smallest bar I’ve reviewed thus far. No pool, no darts. A bar with several stools and two tables. That’s it. I took a seat midway on the empty bar.
Looking to my left……and to my right. I did note that even though the outside table is no more, the view from inside is just about as good.The walls were decorated in old-style memorabilia which is interesting enough to look at.
So, first impressions of this new (to me) bar. It’s small but cozy. It was comfortable enough and offered up most of what I want in a bar, primarily cold beer and a pleasant atmosphere. During my visit, there were two bartenders. I assume they would accept a lady drink, but this is one of the few places in town where it doesn’t appear that staff is hired to entertain customers. Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, I didn’t find the bartenders particularly friendly or welcoming. They took my order, served my beer, and ignored me while carrying on a conversation with each other in Tagalog. Maybe I’m spoiled, but most bar staff will at least ask you your name. I did note that when the other two customers departed, the girls thanked them by name. I guess I just haven’t achieved “regular” status so as to warrant time and attention.
I also thought it was interesting that smoking was allowed inside. Now, that doesn’t bother me but I know lots of folks who are very much opposed to secondhand smoke exposure. Hell, there are people who don’t like secondhand water vapor which is why I started gravitating to outside bars. Of course, I gave up vaping a month ago so it doesn’t matter to me now either way.
Anyway, nothing much else stands out about Annex. The bartenders were attractive but I felt invisible to them. It was a very small bar, but nicely decorated and comfortable. It would probably be better to come with a friend or two to keep you company though. The bottom line for me: I liked it okay but found no compelling reason to make it a regular stop, even though I pass by frequently on my way to other places.
An interesting night of darts yesterday, all the more so because we played a singles tournament and all the matches were competitive. Oh yeah, I went undefeated which is always special. I like playing the Tuesday and Friday tourneys because the format includes cricket–my favorite dart game. What I like about cricket is that it is more strategic than other games, like 501. Playing a smart game of cricket can result in victory even if your opponent is throwing better than you. Way back in 2012 I wrote about this phenomenon in a post called “Pointing is Cricket”. The pointing strategies I outlined there came into play last night and ultimately led to my victory.
A brief recap: I was playing against Billy, always a tough competitor. It was the third and deciding leg of our match. Billy had all her numbers closed and was up on points. All she needed was three bulls to win. I still had my 15s open, but since I was behind on points, I needed to score some bullseyes to get ahead. Now, rather than close her bulls, Billy kept throwing for more points at my open 15. I’m not sure what triggered it, but all of the sudden I was hitting bulls like crazy. I hit 4 bulls on one throw, good for 100 points, which closed the point deficit Billy had created. Even when Billy just needed one more bull to win, she kept throwing at the 15. She’d hit a triple 15 for 45 points, I’d answer with a double bull for 50. This went on and on until finally she missed and I didn’t. A bull for points and then I closed the 15 for the victory. I was shaking my head at the outcome and afterward asked Billy why she didn’t close her bulls? She responded, “I wasn’t feeling it.” What? You know you can’t win until you do. A blank stare was her response. Oh well, worked out fine for me.
I beat Gerlie earlier, and she came up through the loser’s bracket to face me in the finals. As is my custom, I offered her the option of splitting first and second place money 50-50 and calling it a tie. She gladly accepted.
I had a good morning as well. The usual leaders of the Friday hike were absent, so it fell upon me to pick the trail. I opted to do an end-to-end trek on My Bitch, then come down into the valley, and walking back to Barretto from there. Made for a nice 8K hike. Here are some photos from the journey:
The route we walked.It’s always exciting to have someone new join the group, especially a hottie like Rona (in the black pants). She gave precisely zero indication that the feeling was mutual, however.A group shot as we begin our climb.Up we go!Leaving the uncivilized world behind us…This was Betty’s last hike with the group before returning home to Belgium. You’ll be missed!The biggest challenge on trail was navigating through the thatch grass…Barretto and the bay.High grass.I wouldn’t want to buy the lot of them, but there’s at least one I like…Dan in the grass…Grass without Dan.A rest stop with Olivia and her mountain family.Always nice to see them.Back in the woods.Not as fun walking through this shit as it looks…Watch your step!Remnants from the Hash trail two weeks ago (the part my group shortcutted).A valley view.Down in the valley. Yep, that’s Easter mountain in the background.A valley carabao guarding the path.Preparing the field for planting.That ass.A couple of us joined Betty at Harley’s for some farewell beers.I had a chef salad for lunch.
You can Relive the hike here:
I forgot to turn on my tracker until we were a kilometer or so into the hike…This was a beery good post!
That’s all for today’s installment. Thanks for dropping in!
If it is really true that it is better to give than receive, I had a pretty good day yesterday.
I started with breakfast at Arizona. On the way, I successfully withdrew some pesos from the only BPI ATM in town. Turns out I was going to need them.
The view from my breakfast table.
It has been quite some time since I’ve had a meal at Arizona. It’s a long way from home with lots of other options in between. I ordered a sausage and egg muffin. My date ordered lasagna. It took 45 minutes and we were the only customers. I asked my waitress what was going on and she just shrugged and said something about “chef issues”. Oh well. As I said, I have many other dining options for the future.
At least my date was easy on the eyes.
She was the reason I was there. Turns out yesterday was her brother’s birthday and she needed money for a cake. Since she lives nearby Arizona, I suggested we meet there. She was late, but not as late as the food. After we ate, I gave her 1000 pesos and wished her well.
While waiting for breakfast I received a frantic message from Maris at the Kitchenette. First time I’ve heard from her in a couple of weeks. She was in distress because the canteen was out of food stock and she had no money to buy more. She says she wants to stay open until she can find someone to take it over. I told her I’d stop by later after breakfast. Maris was alone when I arrived. I told her if she sold out of food and had no money to replace it, her prices were obviously too low. She started crying. I gave her 10,000 pesos and left. I don’t need that drama in my life. I gave her the opportunity, what she does with it is up to her. So far, I’m not impressed.
There was some good news when I got back home. My friend Bhel was finally being released from the hospital after an eight-day confinement. Seven of which were apparently unnecessary–she had the surgery the previous day.
The nightmare is finally over.
Of course, she couldn’t actually leave the hospital until her account had been settled. That’s where I come in. Now, when I had first volunteered to provide the financial means for this surgery (and I did volunteer, she didn’t ask) it was supposed to be an in and out procedure, with at most an overnight stay. I committed to 35,000 pesos ($700.) provided I could pay via credit card. Things changed, and instead of the private hospital and doctor, she wound up at Gordon hospital in Olongapo, which is known as “the place where people go to die” in the expat community. Her stories of seeming incompetence and uncaring attitudes from the staff were frankly shocking. I figured they were unnecessarily extending her stay just to run up the bill. I was almost afraid to ask how much she needed to buy her freedom. She sent me the bill and I was pleasantly surprised to discover you can be tortured for eight days for just under 30,000 pesos. Since Gordon doesn’t accept credit card payments, I wired the money via Western Union, and her freedom was secured. I had given 10,000 when she checked in for meds and tests, so all in was close to what I had originally agreed to fund. Here’s to wishing Bhel a full and complete recovery.
Jane needed parts for her motor scooter and food for her kids and pleaded with me to let her give me a massage. I guess I was in a giving mood, so she came over and rubbed me the right way. She’s actually a nice woman and doesn’t go overboard with her requests, so I don’t really mind helping her out occasionally. She left my house with 3500 pesos and a bag of cookies.
I had planned to do another bar review yesterday evening, but when I walked by, that bar was under renovation. I’ll try again tomorrow. Since I was in the neighborhood, I popped into It Doesn’t Matter. Had some beers and bought some lady drink beers (3 at 200 pesos each) for my bar sweetheart, Roan. I also gave her a 100 peso tip when I left.
It was still a little before 8:00 and I wasn’t sure what to do next. I hadn’t had dinner but I also wasn’t feeling hungry. I thought about just taking a trike back home, but then decided I’d have another beer at Barcelona. It’s been ages since I’ve been there. I was surprised when the door girl greeted me by name. Remembering names seems to be a special talent for Filipinas in the service industry. It always makes me feel welcome even though I have no clue who it is that is speaking to me. I had a couple more beers and for some reason, I was in a shitty mood at the end of my long day. I even felt compelled to take a selfie to document those feelings:
If I look old and tired it’s only because I am.
Oh well, today’s another day. Led the group hike this morning and I’ll post about that tomorrow. I’ve got the Friday darts tourney at Alley Cats on tap a bit later. Hmm, might need to hit that ATM again too.
At least I’m not shitting my pants when I fart. Much.
I’m not sure this is correct, but I guess it illustrates how a comma can make a difference.
Don’t worry, we aren’t going far, seems like only yesterday. Oh wait, it was only yesterday. Let’s start at the end and go from there.
It was Wingsday so I had me some from the pub. Brought them home to eat as usual.
Leftovers. Or should I say, the remains of the day?
Prior to The Pub, I visited Adam’s Sports Bar for the first time in quite a while. My purpose in doing so was to knock out another bar review, but I wound up having a pretty good time while I was there. You can see my review in the post previous to this one.
My afternoon was spent at Alley Cats where I played dart league with my teammates from Lagoon. The ‘cats are a strong team, in fact, they were undefeated coming into yesterday’s match. I had very little expectation that we would actually win so my attitude was let’s just have a good time, chuck some darts, and drink some drinks. Speaking of drinks, I’m cutting back on beer in an effort to trim away some of my big ol’ belly. I’m drinking gin and soda instead because it’s lower in carbs and calories. It is also higher in alcohol, so I was buzzing more than usual. I was engaging in friendly banter with our opponents and I guess I pissed off their captain who admonished me to throw more and talk less. I guess (s)he (yeah, it was Billy) wasn’t happy that we were winning the match. When it was all said and done, Lagoon came out on top 8-5. I bought Billy a beer as a conciliatory gesture and (s)he accepted, so it’s all good.
Getting to the match on time proved to be more challenging than I expected. Well, when I heard the Wednesday Walkers were hiking to Tralala I knew it was going to be tough. In fact, I considered bailing out, but damn, I didn’t want to miss out on the annual trek to the mountaintop. It took us until 11:00 to reach the summit, darts started at 2:00, and we were a long way from Barretto. Jim graciously agreed to lead me back down and estimated we’d be off the mountain by noon. We left the rest of the group behind and I hoofed it as fast as these tired old legs of mine can move, but my actual arrival on the pavement in Barretto was 12:20 I immediately caught a trike for home which was on the opposite side of town. Hit the shower, changed clothes, and hoofed it back to Alley Cats with enough time to get some warm-up throws in.
And that leaves the hike to Tralala itself. The starting point is in the Gordon Heights part of Olongapo. We hired a van-like vehicle to take us there, a 30-minute ride. Then we did the long climb up to the top, consisting of seemingly endless steps, and then a winding upward path to the small village. We don’t do this hike very often because it’s challenging for us old folks, but I really enjoy the unique views and scenery along the way. Once a year is just about right. Surprisingly, this time the hike up didn’t totally kick my ass. Hard, but not exhausting like it was in the past. Felt good about that. I wish I didn’t have to be in such a rush to get back to Barretto.
Here are some photos from the hike:
Our path. My Fitbit says I did 187 floors yesterday.In the van…more comfy than a Jeepney at least.Our group of climbers (minus Scott who took the photo). We had two new guys along. Not sure if they’ll be back for more. I told them it was the hardest trail of the year, we are usually more sane. We’ll see.Let the climbing begin...Still a LONG way to go…Cookie time!Just take one step at a time and don’t look up…Yeah, that’s why I warned you…Catching our wind at the end of the stairs.Getting closer.A handsome goat.This cracked me up. “Let’s go, Brandon!”Yeah, people actually live up here. I can’t imagine making this trek as a normal daily thing, let alone hauling up groceries and supplies.These kind folks offered coffee as we passed by. No thanks, but have some cookies with yours!The old Tralala school house. Objective achieved!Damn it, Kate (on the right), stop being so cute! (she has a boyfriend, although he didn’t join us for this hike).These kids seemed really excited to see us…And that was before they got the cookies…A view from the top…And another.We came. We saw. We conquered!Filipinas in the wild…I gotta go to darts, let’s roll!Damn thatch grass was out of control along the ridgeline.Heading home.This house is about halfway back to Barretto–literally in the middle of nowhere. Very nice house though, but who could live there?The view can’t be beat though…My destination awaits.Hope you enjoyed this timeless post.
As days go, this was a good one. Thanks for taking a step back in time to enjoy it with me.
One of the newer drinking establishments in town, Adam’s identifies as a sports bar. Who am I to argue?
I visited Adam’s several times when it had first opened. It always seemed blah to me somehow–nothing wrong but also no real reason to put it into my rotation. Last night was the first time I’d been back in several months and it really did have a whole new vibe going on. I actually enjoyed myself. Granted, I had been drinking all afternoon at dart league, but that doesn’t really matter since that kind of thing is what bars are for.
Adam’s is one of the several “upstairs” bars in town, and the first one I’ve reviewed. I don’t have any issue with climbing a flight of stairs to get to my beer so it won’t impact their ranking.Since my last visit, the actual bar has been moved from the back to a side wall. I hadn’t noticed that when I first arrived…...so I wound up sitting where the old bar used to be. I’m told they are in the process of putting a kitchen in here.
There were a dozen or so mostly attractive waitresses. Not pushy for drinks at all, which I always appreciate. One of the waitresses knew me from when she used to work at Queen Victoria, an event I had no recollection of. I bought her a drink anyway.
Adams participates in the dart league and their match was still going on when I arrived. This dartboard setup is also new since my last visit. It appears very well done.I’m not sure about this seating arrangement, however. I think it would just be a matter of time (and a number of beers) before I tripped coming down off that stage.
My waitress friend asked me if I played pool and I was just inebriated enough to claim that I did. And for some reason I let myself get sucked into playing doubles against two other bar girls. They just happened to be excellent pool players and promptly kicked our ass. After that shellacking, I felt obligated to buy the winners a drink.
It’s a nice setup for pool though, although it is unlikely I’ll be humiliating myself by playing again any time soon.
So, I have to admit Adam’s turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I actually knew several expats in the bar and it was a pretty good time hanging out there. I’ll definitely be visiting more often in the future. Adam’s places higher in the rankings than I anticipated it would.
When I’m posting this early in the day it means there isn’t likely to be any other time to do so later. I don’t like being in that situation, but since joining the dart league my Wednesday afternoon is committed. My mornings belong to the Wednesday Walkers group. I’m really going to be in a crunch today because the Walkers are going to tackle the climb to Tralala. That’s the highest point on the Kalaklan ridge and it’s brutal. I’ve written about it here and here. It’s funny, in revisiting those posts I always claim “I’ll never do that again!”. And yet, here I am almost looking forward to the challenge. One of the reasons is enjoying views like this:
That was from last year’s Tralala expedition.
We’ll catch a ride out to Gordon Heights in Olongapo and begin our climb to the top from there. Assuming I survive that, we’ll march back along the ridgeline then down into Barretto. It’s around 12K all-in.
That’s how it’s done.
I’ll let you know how it goes tomorrow.
A full plate yesterday as well.
Including a Salisbury steak lunch at Sit-n-Bull. (sorry for the blurry photo)And a roast chicken salad for dinner at Mango’s.
Between lunch and dinner, I played some darts Alley Cats.
I went undefeated in the winner’s bracket, then offered my opponent in the finals the chance to call it a tie and split the money 50-50. She* agreed.
My friend, Bhel, finally had the surgery I had previously agreed to pay for. What was supposed to be a simple procedure, in and out with maybe an overnight stay in the hospital, has proven to be something else altogether. She spent six days hospitalized waiting for the surgery to be performed in what appears to me to be a fiasco of incompetence. It’s a “public” hospital and apparently, the care and well-being of patients is a low priority in such institutions. Not sure how much longer they will hold her post-surgery. It’s been a nightmare for her and I’m not sure what amount I’m going to be on the hook for, certainly much, much more than what I expected it was going to be paying.
Oh well. If it makes a positive difference in her life it will be worth it.
Let’s just hope it goes better than my previous efforts at generosity have turned out.
Caring is sharing is a popular sentiment in these parts.
I got a smile from this:
It seems my love life will remain stationary.
No rest for the weary–give this a watch (less than a minute long):
Another wake-up call.
Alright, that’s enough for now. I’ll be back with a report on today’s hike, tomorrow.
*Billy, as you might have guessed, identifies as a male. But I see him/her as a biological female, and can’t seem to do the male pronouns. Not out of spite or any negative feelings about her sexual orientation. I guess I’m just old-fashioned. She’s never made an issue of it with me. I noticed the Filipinas do call her “kuya” (brother). Anyway, I consider Billy a friend that I respect and mean no offense by my choice of words.
A good Hash yesterday. Almost pleasant, in fact. The Hare, Leech My Nuggets, is known for his difficult trails, but this was easy enough to seem almost out of character for him. Sure, it had several hill climbs, but nothing long, steep, and hard. Of course, our “sane” group did some modifications, including eliminating one of the bigger climbs. But despite being notorious short cutters, we actually added distance to the Hare’s route by walking the 2K from Alta Vista to the trailhead.
Lots of photos to share. I’m even featured in quite a few of them as the other Hashers did a lot of the photography. So, let’s get to it:
The green line shows our modifications to the Hare’s original trail. We did longer but flatter.Heading out from Alta Vista.The official starting point for run #1470 of the SBH3. The “sane” Hashers (L-R) Cum Together, Captain Prickhard, Cum In My Basement, Black And Dick Her, and Tinkerbell.Pubic Head took the photo.Let’s do this bitch!Climbing Black Rock is in our near future.That really gets my goat!A smaller climb before we get to Black Rock.Cookies for kiddies.Things are looking up.What goes up must come down…Right, Pubic Head?Made it!Reading Hash Trail Marks 101: A short line next to a long line indicates which direction to turn. In this case, left. The number indicates the Hash week–sometimes trails overlap from week to week. We’ve had folks follow the old trail on occasion. Leech My Nuggets is probably the best Hare I’ve seen for clearly marking his trails…Time for the big climb of the day to Black Rock.Almost there.The summit is achieved.What a beauty!Keeping things in perspective.Nice to see you again, Easter Mountain.No, I’m not tired. Why do you ask?Take a deep breath, Pubic Head…Comin’ down the mountain.Well, the chalk is pointing in this direction… (it wasn’t)If you can’t walk on water or fly, you’re gonna get your shoes wet sometimes…The other end of Black Rock…we avoided this climb.And climbed this instead.Almost done.Excuse us, just passing through…Folks we encountered were so friendly. A harsh life doesn’t mean you can’t be happy.The final down……before arriving at our On Home venue of Smoke and Bottles.I really enjoy this open-air atmosphere here.Circle Up!Leaking Willy celebrates his 69th run with the Subic Bay Hash. His gal, Dripping Pussy, is there to assist.
And so concluded another Hash Monday. It’s good to be alive!
Mostly because I ain’t done nothin’. But here goes anyway.
That’s big numbers for my humble diary-like blog. Thanks for reading!
With a loyal readership comes the sense of obligation to actually post something here every day, even when there is nothing to say. Well, I did post the It Doesn’t Matter bar review earlier, but I don’t consider those to be a replacement for my usual daily dose of drivel. Heh, maybe I should. That’s the problem with Hash Monday. Nothing has happened yet today, and I didn’t do much yesterday, so that leads to shit posts like this.
After I left It Doesn’t Matter, I crossed the highway and went upstairs to Cheap Charlies. My usual crew was naturally happy to see me. And my wallet of course. But you know, I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t enjoy the attention. Especially from Alma. I’ve been knowing her pretty much since I started visiting this bar. She’s not the youngest or the most attractive woman at CC, but she does seem to genuinely like me. She’s in her early 30s and a little chubbier than I normally go for, but I still find her quite sexy in a “girl next door” kind of way. And when she rests her head on my shoulder while she is rubbing my back I can’t help but think this would be nice to come home to every night. Yeah, yeah, I know. But it’s a sweet fantasy anyway.
One interesting fact about Alma is that she is a Muslim. She doesn’t dress in the traditional manner, but she is true to the faith in other ways, like no pork and no alcohol. I semi-jokingly asked her last night if she were permitted to have a non-Muslim boyfriend and she insisted that would not be a problem. I had a friend who married a Muslim gal from Indonesia and he actually had to convert (or at least pretend he did) in order to make her his wife. Of course, I’m not a religious man and don’t abide by the tenants tenets of any faith, but I also wouldn’t convert from my agnostic lifestyle either, even for the sake of love.
That’s what I always circle back to–love is pretty to think about but the reality probably just isn’t worth it. It will take a pretty special woman to change my mind about that and she’s going to have find me–I ain’t looking. Much.
I had me some chicken fingers and wingers from the restaurant downstairs. Ordered the girls some pancit which they seemed to enjoy.
Sorry, the pancit was gone faster than I could open up my camera app.
Another early night for me, home before 8:00. The 23-year-old asked me to send her a pic before I went to bed. This is what she got:
I was a few beers to the wind I suppose.
And that’s more than enough for now. Should have some Hash pictures to brighten your day tomorrow.
“John, where do you like to hang out in Barretto?” Me: It Doesn’t Matter. “Well, fuck you then if you don’t want to tell me!”
This is a relatively new bar in town, less than a year old. In its previous iteration it was named T-Rose and from what I’ve been told was a pretty raunchy girly bar. No more, this is a straight-up neighborhood pub-style place now. The two owners, an Aussie and a Yank, are long-term local expats and I’d say a majority of the customers are their personal friends. One or both are always on hand to greet and welcome you to their bar, and there is just a comfortable “at home” vibe when you are their guest.
I don’t spend much time inside the bar, but it has been remodeled and redecorated. Features two pool tables now and comfortable couch-like seating around the walls…Sorry, hon. Not my type.They also have a team in the dart league.This is my preferred seating area–outside where I can watch life slowly passing me by as I sip my beer.Cliff, the Aussie owner, and his girl, Ashley, who also manages the bar.My friend the peanut vendor (on the right) is back to work after a recent illness. The other guy is selling viagra. No thanks, I don’t buy my drugs on the street. Well, not since I was a teenager...And of course, my favorite waitress and drinking companion, Roan.
I always enjoy my time here. Usually, the laughs come easy. This actually happened (again) last night. I get a message from the 23-year-old and the following conversation ensued:
Her: Hi
Me: Hello
Her: What are you doing?
Me. Drinking beer.
Her: Where?
Me: It doesn't matter.
Her: Why?
Me. I don't know.
Okay, so I’m easily amused. Bottom line is that It Doesn’t Matter is a well-run bar that treats you more like a friend than a customer. That’s what makes it one of my favorites.
An earlier than normal start to my evening out yesterday. I had my reasons. For one, I needed to refill my wallet with cash which meant finding a functioning ATM. Not as easy as it sounds in this town. I prefer using BPI (Bank of the Philippine Islands) because they allow withdrawals up to 20,000 pesos ($400). The other machines are limited to 10,000 pesos. Since each ATM transaction costs 250 pesos (not to mention the fee my credit union back home charges) I prefer to limit my cash infusions as much as possible. Hence, better to take out 20,000 once a week than 10,000 twice. Well, my usual BPI ATM was at the 7/11 store on Baloy Road, which is relatively close to my house. I say “was” because for some inexplicable reason the machine was removed from the store. It was a very popular ATM with expats and locals alike. Maybe too popular and the store didn’t like all the non-customer foot traffic inside. Or maybe BPI is going to put in a new and improved ATM. Yeah, right.
Anyway, there is another BPI ATM on the other side of Barretto. It’s popular too, in fact, so popular that it is frequently out of cash. That’s a problem that will be exacerbated now that it is the only game in town for large withdrawals. Being that it was Saturday afternoon I figured it was likely going to run dry as people cashed up for the weekend. So, I hoofed it on over and was happy to see it was still in service. Punched in my numbers, and out came this:
I’m used to getting 20 one thousand peso notes. 40 five hundreds made for a thick wallet. I guess the machine was already out of 1000s. I suppose I should consider myself lucky I got money at all.
The other reason for my early start yesterday was I had tentatively planned to do another bar review. Once I had the money in my pocket though I changed my mind. I knew this bar would be busy on a Saturday and that makes it more difficult to take photographs. I do try to respect the privacy of patrons in the bars and I just wasn’t feeling it yesterday. I’m planning to go there today for the review, so stay tuned.
And finally, I left the house about an hour earlier than normal because I was bored. I honestly do not like to start drinking much earlier than 5:00 p.m., but what’s a rule good for if there aren’t exceptions?
So, here I am on the highway on the far side of town and it ain’t quite four in the afternoon yet. What to do? I figured I’d pop into the Hideaway bar while I was thinking it over. The place was busier than I recall ever seeing it and I felt lucky getting a seat at the bar. Had a couple of beers and bought a lady drink for the only waitress I knew still working there. I decided to hoof it out to Baloy Beach and pick a spot there for dinner and beers. So, I said my goodbyes and headed out.
Along the way, I passed the Kitchenette and was surprised to see it open. It had been closed for a couple of days while the owner went to Manila to visit family. Yeah, unscheduled closures are a great way to keep regular customers coming back. I popped in to say hello and was not happy with what I saw. Only the owner and her friend were there, open beer bottles on the table, and no customers. I could see why; they hadn’t done any food prep. I shook my head and said “a restaurant without food?” and left in disgust.
I was in a sour mood now and no longer up for the longish walk out to Baloy. Instead, I popped into Mango’s. It wasn’t 5:00 yet and the back patio was drenched in hot sunshine, so I sat at the bar instead. Had a couple of beers and Norman, the manager, let me know they had pork chops ready to grill in the kitchen. Still wasn’t ready for dinner though, so I declined. Headed back out to the highway and on impulse decided to see what was happening at The Pub.
I was lucky to get a table. The owner, John Kim, has recently installed a sushi bar (and hired two sushi chefs!) and it is apparently very popular so far. I’ve never been big on raw fish though, so I perused the regular menu. I’ve never had a bad meal at The Pub, so it is just a matter of finding what you are craving the most. The waitress suggested the bulgogi but I didn’t want the rice it comes with. I considered Mexican or a French dip sandwich, and then I saw the steak menu. I’ve bought raw steaks from John but never had one prepared in his kitchen. I guess the reason why is they are pretty expensive–most of them over $20. But I had a wallet full of 500 peso notes and a desire to eat some meat, so I said “give me the ribeye”. Large or small, sir? Hmm, the difference in price was about five bucks but I wasn’t sure I was that hungry, so I went with the smaller one.
Yeah, that’s a SMALL ribeye. I could barely finish it. It was no surprise that it was outstanding. Cooked to perfection and very tender.
After my meal (and two beers) it was still too early to go home. So, I crossed the street to Outback. I didn’t do the regular bar there though, instead, I sat outside by the pool. Had the bar to myself, a cute bartender to serve me, and some bizarre music videos for entertainment. Enjoyed some more beer and alone time.
That’s from the review I did a couple of weeks ago. Nothing has changed, although the sun had already set this time.
After a while, some Aussies came in and changed the channel to a cricket match (not the darts kind). I watched for a bit but didn’t find it particularly entertaining, in large part I suppose, because I don’t understand the game. It has a pitcher and batter like baseball, but that’s where the similarities end. I paid my tab and headed out.
I wasn’t much past 7:00 and I had nothing to do at home, so I crossed the street to visit Queen Victoria. Yikes. I was the only customer. There was some construction going on to repair an aircon unit. I did get a friendly greeting (by name) from a waitress I don’t remember, then she went back to join the rest of the staff singing (badly) karaoke tunes. There is a reason I don’t visit karaoke bars (they are called videoke here)–I find the loud music and poor singing to be almost unbearable. Unless I’m drunk enough to be singing too. And I wasn’t last night. One beer and out. Caught a trike and was home before eight and in bed before nine. Yeah, an old man’s Saturday night.
It was interesting revisiting some of the previously reviewed bars. I’ve also decided to consider my additional experiences in these venues as I continue the ranking process. Queen Victoria will be dropping down a notch or two. Maybe more. Tonight’s venue is one of my regular hangouts, so I’m expecting good things. I’ll post the review tomorrow before I Hash.
Hmm. Maybe I should get an early start again today…
Regular readers will recognize this name–it’s my darts bar.
I guess technically the name is Alley Hideout but no one calls it that. Also, the only signage, as pictured above, says otherwise. It would be hard to find this place unless you were told where to go. I used to play here when I was a tourist, then I would come out four or five nights a week when I first moved to town. These days I play on Tuesday and Friday only.
It’s a very small bar, dominated by the two dart boards shown here.The actual bar.
It’s comfortable enough I suppose, but I probably wouldn’t visit much except for the darts. I’ve been such a regular over the years though that I’m friends with the staff and know most of the customers by name.
I’d have to say Jerlyn is currently my favorite waitress here.Back in the early days I had the hots for Annabelle. She gave me the cold shoulder though.
It probably goes without saying, but this is a regular bar–no takeout available. The girls work for drink commissions though and always appreciate a lady drink. Beer price for customers was recently raised to 80 pesos. I think that’s too high, but when the day comes that I have to worry about nickels and dimes when I’m out on the town I’ll just stay home and watch TV. Here’s hoping that day never comes.
Nancy has been at Alley since the beginning. In my 3+ years here I’ve really seen her come into her own as a dart player. She’s been kicking my ass quite frequently of late.Billy runs the tourneys at Alley Cats–Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.The best overall dart venue in town. It can get a little crowded though.Those Alley Cats. Can you name them all? That bottle of beer on the table is where I’m regularly seated. Yeah, all us regulars have regular seats. And from my vantage point, I can watch the CCTV monitor and see what is going on inside and outside the bar…
So, it was Friday night and I was there to play darts. Let’s get to it!
We didn’t have enough for doubles, but I actually prefer playing without a partner. No one to disappoint but me that way.Darts is much more fun to play than to watch…I advanced through the winner’s bracket and then faced off against Nancy. She kicked my ass. Twice. So, it was second place for me. But Nancy earned it, she was really on her game last night.Well played!
So, that’s Alley Cats. I used to spend more time here than I do now but it always feels like home. I made some meatballs and brought them with me last night, announcing “Does anyone want to eat my balls?” Later, I bought some nuts from the peanut vendor and did my old line about “you girls like penis?”. They always laugh. Why wouldn’t they? I bought several lady drinks and had a large pizza delivered to the bar last night. And they say you can’t buy friendship.
Anyway, Alley Cats gets rewarded for being my first bar hangout in Barretto and a sentimental favorite:
I posted the latest bar review from Blue Butterfly earlier this morning. I did three beers and one lady drink there, then I moved on to It Doesn’t Matter. Three or four more there and a couple for my bar sweetheart, Roan. I was hungry by then, so wandered down the highway to The Pub. Seeing as how I missed Wingsday because of playing darts on Baloy, I got my Korean wing fix satiated a day late, bringing home sixteen of them in a takeout box.
Plopped some on a plate next to a pile of kimchi and before I knew it the hunger was gone. Had the leftovers for lunch today.
Had a really nice hike with the Friday group this morning. I’ll post up some of those pics tomorrow, but here’s a teaser:
Easter mountain up close as seen from atop Black Rock mountain.
Didn’t do the after-hike beers again today. This time my excuse is that I have a date of sorts. The 23-year-old I buy drinks for asked if she could come to see me this afternoon. Well, I didn’t really have anything better to do, so how could I tell her no? It’s odd though, I’m kind of in a weird place right now where I’d just as soon be alone. A couple of recent female disappointments will do that I suppose. Still, this young gal is a cutie so maybe spending a little quiet time with her is just the medicine I need.
So that’s where things stand in my world at the moment.
Blue Butterfly (previously named Toucan) is a pleasant mid-town bar that has a bit of something for everyone. I enjoy the outdoor seating area, but there is also a pool table and darts inside. Some lovely ladies (appeared to be a dozen or so) are also available to serve your needs.
Well, not ALL your needs if this signage in the CR is to be believed.
Just to be clear, I’m sure the above was intended as a joke. It is not THAT kind of bar–no takeout available.
A nice view from my outdoors perch.
I’m not a regular here by any means, maybe visit twice a month, if that. It is one of the new Hash On-Home venues though. I’d probably visit more often if it was just a tad closer, I tend to frequent the places on my side of town and often lack the motivation to venture up the highway. I like the place though. Beers are only 65 pesos, the gals are friendly but not pushy, and it seems to be a fairly popular expat hangout.
Through that door is the main bar area. I usually only enter to use the CR.It’s very nice inside though. Tables and chairs, but no traditional “sit at the bar” setup. The pool table is there in the back room. There was a tournament going on, so I wasn’t comfortable taking photos during the game.The dartboard. I’ve never played here (yet), but they have a team in the dart league so I guess I’ll be back soon.I’m also acquainted with the manager, Dan. First met him at the now-defunct Double D’s where we’d go head to head in darts. He also briefly managed the Queen Victoria bar.
There is really nothing I don’t like about this bar. If it was more convenient to get to, I’d likely be a regular. But even with that, Blue Butterfly is the best bar I’ve reviewed thus far.
I guess that’s as good a description as any for my busy Wednesday. Did my hike with the Wednesday Walkers group. Scott led us on an exploration of a trail we will potentially use when we are the Hares on the 15th. It had a long and challenging uphill at the beginning, but overall it seems to be a realistic possibility for the Hash. I’d like to find a better way back down, it was too overgrown in places. I stepped into a hole I couldn’t see and that could have been a disaster. Anyway, I made it back home in one piece and avoided having my ass kicked. So there’s that. Pictures of the hike to follow.
I didn’t have time to join the guys for beers at Dynamite Dick’s since I had to get ready for dart league. I did pop into Sit-n-Bull to get a sandwich to go.
You can never go wrong with pulled pork and coleslaw–it kicks ass!
Showered up and got dressed and had twenty minutes left for a quick catnap. Then I headed out to our team’s home bar at the Lagoon hotel on Baloy. We were playing VFW and to be brutally honest, it appeared some of them had never played darts before. We wound up kicking their ass 12-1. Our captain took our only loss of the day in a singles match and we gave him a world of good-natured shit for ruining our perfect afternoon of darts. He did redeem himself somewhat by hitting the winning dart in the beer round (team game).
We sat around the bar shooting the shit after the match. I don’t really engage much in politics, but my English teammate wanted to talk about Biden. He mentioned the shitting his pants incidents(s), his falling asleep at the climate conference, and his general incompetence. He asked if there wasn’t a procedure for removing him from office. I explained how the 25th amendment to the Constitution works, but then noted that leaves us with Harris as President, probably not much better and potentially worse. I also pointed out that the third in line is Nancy Pelosi. He agreed we are truly fucked. Best hope is that Republicans take both the House and Senate next year and at least block the most damaging bullshit coming from the White House. We were all encouraged by the Virginia gubernatorial outcome. Anyway, fuck politics. The American people are getting their ass-kicked and there ain’t much we can do to stop it. Let’s go, Brandon!
After I left Lagoon, I crossed the street to Johan’s. The 43-year-old I mentioned here was there playing pool and later joined me at the bar. I bought her a beer and she gave me a nice back and shoulder massage as I sat there. I ordered some dinner and she joined me. When it was time to go, she didn’t join me. That suited me just fine.
I wasn’t alone at home though. These guys were waiting for me:
Buddy boy……and Lucky boy.
Alright, here’s those Wednesday hiking pictures I promised:
The path we walked.Let the climbing begin!On and on, I just keep on climbing, and I smile when I feel like dying…I see water!Just think, if you lived here you could climb these steps every day!I heard one woman up here ask “where’s John?”. I had no idea who she was or why she knew my name. Apparently, the last time I was up this way several months ago I gave some cookies and she asked me my name. I had no recollection of that event. Yeah, I used to know what amnesia meant too, but now I’ve forgotten.We ain’t done climbing yet.Give me a break!The Wednesday Walkers.Don’t take off, fence!Mountain view.John viewInto the woods.Barbed wire, one of the hazards on trail. Especially if you don’t see it. I’ve got the scars to prove it.Now, that’s my kind of trail. Flat and shady!This tree had an interesting look about it.Damn, more barbed wire!See dees?The beauty of the Subic Bay.Back on the mean streets of Barretto.
That was my kickass Wednesday. Time to shower up now and do another bar review. The sacrifices I make for my readers! Well, someone has to keep these bars in business, right?
My Wednesdays are pretty whacked now that I’ve agreed to help out my former team in the dart league. Arrows fly at 2:00 p.m. My Wednesday Walkers group hike normally finishes up around noon. So, that doesn’t leave much room for anything in-between but a quick shower before making my way out to Baloy Beach for the dart match. Yep, no after-hike beers, no nap, and no time for my daily post here at LTG. Hence, this abbreviated attempt to fill that space before I head out this morning.
Speaking of darts, I finished third in last night’s tournament at Alley Cats. I played about the way I usually do; what’s changed is how some of my opponents are playing–they’ve gotten a lot better. I’m guessing that’s because they play much more frequently than I do, but people I used to dominate are beating me pretty often these days. Oh well, it’s just for fun anyway. Or so I keep telling myself.
Went to Mango’s after darts and ordered the grilled pork chops. Got them for takeout though and enjoyed them at home.
You actually get two of those big chops. I’m having the other one for breakfast this morning.
Oh, in the comments to one of my Facebook posts two folks went at it over a grammatical issue I hadn’t heard of before–apparently not using apostrophes is a thing now. Here’s their exchange:
Wally: *you're
Jeremy: the use of an apostrophe isnt a grammar mistake, and it's an accepted omission from contractions nowadays. Thus, it isnt incorrect even though auto-correct programs will try to mark it as such.
Wally: As for it being acceptable grammar to omit apostrophes, take it from an Englishman, it isn't. And before you make the 'American English' argument, remember that those who invented the language don't accept the concept. There is English and there are mistakes.
If, of course, you honestly believe that the apostrophe is redundant, then you have been misinformed and I would take this opportunity to remind you of your opening remarks regarding the misinformed.
Jeremy: As for your argument concerning the English being the originators of the English language, should I make you aware of the fact that there is such a concept as the evolution of it, or do you not recognize that youre not speaking Old English or even Middle English anymore? Youre speaking Modern English. As such, there is a difference between the British English, American English, and a number of other minor dialects.
Thus, if you want to remain true to the stereotype of the pompous Englishman by "not accepting mistakes", then by all means, go ahead, but just remember, that youre the one making the mistakes right now.
I didn’t participate in the argument and I will continue to use apostrophes in the manner I was taught. Commas, however, are another matter.
I was surprised to have a delivery guy at my front gate yesterday. Figured it was something for the upstairs neighbor. But then he said my name. I told him I didn’t order anything, but upon closer inspection of the package, I saw it was from the US Embassy.
What a relief! My old passport expires next month and I’ve been fretting about getting the new one in time. So, now I have to get my entry stamp transferred to the new passport. I’m told that will require two trips to the immigration office in Manila (they don’t provide that service locally). I’m hoping the same folks I used for the passport can handle the stamp transfer. We shall see.
What else? Well, I got a haircut yesterday.
Yes, I am more handsome than ever, thank you very much!
The trail may have grown cold in my quest for love. That’s okay. Better safe than sorry.
This illustrates why it is hard for me to open my heart to love.
Maybe my long day today will provide some fodder for a worthwhile post tomorrow. Don’t get your hopes up!
I’m no Frodo, but yesterday’s Hash trail would have been better suited for a Hobbitt. It’s funny in a way because I had that thought on trail and then one of the other Hashers made a similar comment to me.
It was a surprisingly short trail with only one big up and down. The climb wasn’t really steep, but it was long and meandering. The part I really disliked was going through sections that were so overgrown and jungle-like that I had to bend over a lot as I worked my way up. Had I been Hobbitt height it would have been much easier.
We started and finished at Hunter’s Jo Inn in Calapadayan. Pubic Head (Scott) drove so I was able to avoid the dreaded ride out there in the Hashmobile. Unfortunately, he lost his car keys while we were hiking the trail. Luckily, another Hasher found them. The keys apparently fell out of his backpack in one of those “bend over while you walk” parts of the trail. Anyway, I got a ride back to Barretto with him, so it ended well for both of us.
To the photos then:
Under 5K. Poorly and confusingly marked in places. And as you can see, it began and ended on the same path–that’s a pretty big Hash no-no.On the plus side, it was mostly new territory for me. But as I mentioned, a jungle climb bent over to the knees is not at all enjoyable.Our “sane” group of Hashers got our usual head start ahead of the main group.And we are off!This was the one thousand four hundred and sixty-ninth running of the Subic Bay Hash House Harriers. The trail sucked, but didn’t lick us. *ahem*I found this tree interesting enough to photograph. It was rooted right at the edge of the pavement and leaning all the way across the road. I liked it’s gumption!Heading on up.Looking back down from part way up.Came across this hilltop farm…It seemed a little corny…No idea what this crop is but there was a lot of it.And then the remainder of the climb was through shit like this.But I was able to overcome all obstacles in my path.Leech My Nuggets was the first runner to pass us after our 45 minute head start.Back on solid ground. You can tell by my expression that this is serious business.Arriving back to our On-Home venue.The view from Hunter’s Jo Inn.It’s nice on ice. I avoided the honor yesterday, however.Pubic Head was punished for littering on trail (his car keys).Doggy Style loves spending time on the ice for some reason.Meanwhile, I was dealing with a runny nose issue. At least it was only one nostril.And the sun went down on another Hash Monday.
After leaving Hunter Jo’s, I had Scott drop me off at It Doesn’t Matter for some more beer drinking and tomfoolery with my fellow Hashers. A good day all things considered.
Now, this post was actually quite interesting. Smack dab in the middle of nowhere with no apparent purpose (there wasn’t any fence or other posts around). Yet, someone for some reason lugged up the concrete and did the labor to build it here. I’d like to know what that was all about.
So, geographically speaking, the next bar in my “Bars of Barretto” series would have been The Pub. But in the end, notwithstanding the name, I decided that The Pub is a restaurant rather than a bar.
Yeah, it has a pool table……and the dart board is still up, although it is blocked by tables now.
So, yeah, it definitely has a pub vibe going on. But here’s the thing–I never think of visiting The Pub when I’m thirsty but it is one of my favorite places to get something to eat. In fact, I had a French dip sandwich here before moving a bit further up the road to review Rosies. Ultimately, I decided it would be unfair to rate The Pub among the bars of Barretto. The other bars can’t compete on the menu and a restaurant shouldn’t have to be held to bar standards.
You could even make the case that The Pub is an imported food grocery store.
I was going to do another bar review last night but it turns out that Blue Butterfly, the next up in rotation, is closed on Sundays. I’ll try to get there Wednesday.
Anyway, yesterday was Halloween and the gals at It Doesn’t Matter said they were going to be dressing up. So I did too:
Turns out that’s not what they meant.I did love that pussycat though…
Anyway, I got a few laughs out of it, all people here have ever seen me wear is shorts and a polo shirt. Wasn’t a brilliant idea though, I was sweating like a hell in that suit.
Okay, Hash Monday so I’d best get ready for that. On-On!
Actually, I got it in my head to walk TO the mall, which made me a highway walker. Not the best of ideas given the heavy traffic on this holiday weekend. Talk about a scary Halloween! The holiday of which I speak is known here as Fiestang Patay, or All Souls Day. It is the traditional day to visit the graves of loved ones, but from the looks of the hotel parking lots, a lot of people are spending the weekend at the beach.
Anyway, It was only a little over 6K from my door to the mall entrance. When I arrived I realized that I had forgotten to bring something very important!
A face shield. Worthless as a safety device, but mandatory for entrance to the mall. Once inside, everyone pretty much just props them up on top of their head. I’m sure they are just as effective when worn that way.
I wasn’t sure the face shield rule was still in force, but the guard at the door told me “no shield, no entry”. Where can I buy a shield, I asked. “Inside. But you can’t enter without a shield.” Alrighty then. I walked across the street to the 7/11 but they were sold out of shields. I circled the mall to the backside entrance and there the enterprising guard was selling shields for 30 pesos each. I bought the one pictured above from him.
Having gained the coveted mall access, I commenced shopping. I didn’t need much, but what I needed isn’t available in Barretto proper. I wound up having a pretty successful go of it, getting most of what I came for.
Socks, underwear, and some new shorts and shirts.Some new Bluetooth headphones, a notebook to record my daily health stats, brushes for my electric toothbrush, and a new pair of Merrell hiking shoes. Didn’t really need the shoes, but I was there, they were on sale, and the store actually had a pair in my size, so why not?
Harbor Point mall is just a shell of its former pre-pandemic self. I’d estimate that over a third of the stores have closed. I had planned on treating myself to an overpriced TGI Friday’s lunch but was surprised to see they were no longer in business. The same with a couple of other places I used to like to eat at. Oh well, the Burger King was open and it has been a while since I’ve enjoyed a Whopper. Except they only had one counter open during lunch hour and the line was long. Fuck that! I walked around a bit more and came to this place:
Well, how can you go wrong with a Wimpy’s hamburger?
I ordered the Super Burger with cheese. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this”
It wasn’t as big as it looks. Not even a full-sized patty, it looks like the chef took a bite out of it. They should have just called it a Quarter Ouncer.
Oh, well. That’s the way it goes. Took a cab back home and now I can prepare for a Halloween night on the town. I did that photo every 1000 steps thingy, and here they are:
Leaving my house.1000 steps to the backstreets of Barretto.2000 steps-leaving Barretto on the National Highway.3000 steps dodging traffic on the highway.4000 steps, still on the highway in Kalaklan barangay.5000 steps–I see dead people.6000 steps–on the grounds of the old Navy base…Arriving at my destination, Harbor Point Mall.
I did take a couple of pictures out of sequence along the way. Some roadside artworks…murals painted on the retaining wall.
Your guess is as good as mine.Again, no idea what this is supposed to symbolize. It looks a little scary to me.The walk stats.
And you can Relive it here:
That’s pretty much my day so far. Had a great chat with Pearl again this morning. I’m trying not to get my hopes up, but damn, maybe there will be love in my future after all.
When I first moved to Barretto back in 2018, Rosies was a semi-regular stop on my bar crawls. In those days it was a classic girly bar: scantily-clad dancers available for takeout. It was somewhat smaller than its competitors but had a good vibe and some nice-looking gals. I was trying to remember if I’d ever taken a girl home from here before and decided that I had not. There used to be one girl that here that I was quite fond of, but if I recall correctly when I asked if she wanted to go with me she told me she was on her menstruation. Maybe she was or maybe it was her polite way to say no, but I never asked again.
As time went on I gravitated away from the girly bars altogether. I can’t remember the last time I was in Rosies, but it was pre-pandemic. Last night was a stark reminder of how times have changed.
An empty stage. Dancing in bars is no longer allowed under COVID rules. There were only five or six girls in the bar last night (back in the day there were probably 20 or more).
They had a couple of those big-screen TVs playing music videos, that was a nice touch. And it seemed a lot of the videos featured women in bikinis, so the old dancer bar vibe was at least somewhat in evidence.
The bar and additional seating…Bar love was still in evidence. Unless you are in a “no money, no honey” situation.
A couple of the girls last night were cute, but no one pressured me for drinks, nor did anyone come to join me at the table. My waitress gave good service, even brought a frosty mug for my beer which wasn’t very cold. Beers were 75 pesos, which is pretty cheap for this style bar. I was there early, so it could have been happy hour prices.
The only other customer and the pool table in the back. When I used to frequent the bar, the pool table was pretty popular with the customers, I think they even had tournaments. Not sure about now.
I stayed for two beers, which says something I suppose. It was not unpleasant to sit and reminisce about those happier days gone by.
But Rosie you’re all right – you wear my ring
When you hold me tight – Rosie that’s my thing
When you turn out the light – I’ve got to hand it to me
If I had been born a woman I would certainly have been a prostitute. Since I had been born a man I craved women constantly, the lower the better. And yet women—good women—frightened me because they eventually wanted your soul, and what was left of mine I wanted to keep. Basically I craved prostitutes, base women, because they were deadly hard and made no personal demands. Nothing was lost when they left. Yet at the same time I yearned for a gentle, good woman, despite the overwhelming price. Either way I was lost. A strong man would give up both. I wasn’t strong. So I continued to struggle with women, the idea of women.
Charles Bukowski
I’ve been thinking some about this life of mine. Yeah, that can definitely be dangerous. I’m lucky in many ways, and mostly content with the path I’ve chosen. I usually just immerse myself in my routines and live in the moment. What else am I going to do? But then something happens that gets me wondering about those things I might be missing out on, and my peace of mind is challenged by the dreaded “what ifs?”.
Yesterday was a typical day in most ways–the Friday hike, a darts tourney, and lots of beer. But I was also preoccupied with thoughts of “is that all there is?”. In a rare moment of self-awareness, I had to admit that as much as I enjoy my life here, I am, in fact, a lonely man. And yeah, I can usually chase away those blues by remembering all the women over the years who taught me the hard lesson that there are worse things than being alone. Some of those wounds have never healed, and my band-aids like the FWB program and bargirl company serve to distract me from the residual pain that comes from wanting what you can’t have. And then something (or someone) triggers me to ask “why can’t I try again?”. Well, the sad answer to that is because I’m a coward.
So, what triggered all this introspection? A combination of things I suppose. I had an early morning chat with Pearl, that gal I met on a hike with the Wednesday Walkers a few weeks back.
The day we first met she tripped all my triggers.Then I heard she had a boyfriend so I ran away before I made a fool of myself.
Although we had exchanged some messages periodically, yesterday was a lengthy and in-depth conversation. I enjoyed the hell out of it and it got my mind going down that road of “why can’t I have something like this in my life all the time?” Well, there’s that boyfriend thing, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be with Pearl. There must be other women out there who check all my boxes.
Then there was Facebook reminding me of the happy times I spent with my last Korean girlfriend, Eun Oke.
Of course, for every time we spent laughing there were two times that I cried…
And then we have the four-year anniversary of my proclamation of love for Loraine and her breaking my heart only twenty-four hours later. A record-shattering event I wrote about in a post appropriately entitled “FUCK ME!“.
So, I had lots to think about during the hike yesterday. Last year I made a couple of ill-fated attempts to have a loving relationship. Regular readers may remember Jessa and Iline. Both of them have found new loves and I am happy for them. I have some regrets about losing Jessa and I’m very thankful to have dodged a bullet with Iline. And so it goes.
During the hike, I saw something that may have been a message from God concerning my so-called love life:
An ambulance parked in front of a cemetery. “Sorry, his love life was dead on arrival”.
But hope springs eternal and you never know what is going to happen next. Near the end of the dart tournament last night I was surprised to see Pearl and a girlfriend come into the bar. I got them a seat near me a bought them both a drink. We had a nice chat, then I had to play a match. I’m not blaming being distracted by the beautiful gal watching me play for my loss. I didn’t care anyway. They had to leave shortly thereafter, but Pearl promised to come out for another tourney soon. She used to play some in Japan and I’m hoping to get her interested in playing again. We’ll see.
Yeah, yeah, I know. Don’t get my hopes up.
Shortly after Pearl and her friend left Alley Cats, I got a message from Joy at Marick’s asking me to come visit. The bar is relocating and it was the last night they’d be open for a couple of weeks. How could I say no?
Joy was sweet and snuggly as usual. I could almost pretend she cares.
I went home drunk and conflicted and today I’m sober and conflicted. I’ll fix the first part of that equation later on when I do my next bar review. Had another nice chat with Pearl and was happy when she said she enjoyed watching me play darts last night and that my attempts at drunken humor didn’t offend her at all. I sent her this quote I like from Richard Bach:
“Like attracts like. Just be who you are, calm and clear and bright. Automatically, as we shine who we are, asking ourselves every minute is this what I really want to do, doing it only when we answer yes, automatically that turns away those who have nothing to learn from who we are,and attracts those who do, and from whom we have to learn, as well.”
I guess I’ve laid down the gauntlet now. We’ll see what happens next.
